A Wake in Providence, directed by Rosario Roveto, is a variation on the theme of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? (1967), but the ethnic group is Sicilian, not Greek. And the African American is the girlfriend, not the boyfriend. When the picture begins, Anthony Gelati (played by Vincent Pagano), a macho Italian, is auditioning for a part in a gangster film in Hollywood. When he gets home, he is lavished with affection by Alissa (played by Victoria Rowell, whose skin is considerably darker than when she appeared in the 1992 film The Distinguished Gentleman). Although Alissa has introduced Anthony to her African American parents, who have accepted him, his parents in Providence, Rhode Island, only know her name, not her race, but she wants to meet them. A telephone soon rings. Anthony's grandfather is dead, so Anthony must attend the wake and the funeral, giving Alissa an opportunity to meet his family. Predictably, most members of the family are unable to show immediate approval of Alissa, and Anthony's grandmother (played by Kaye Kingston) as the family matriarch openly disapproves of her because she is not Italian. Anthony, who has grown up to show respect to his elders, is speechless, whereupon Alissa wants to fly back to Los Angeles, feeling rejected. Also predictably, the relationship will be repaired by intermediaries despite the dysfunctional family operates, in which women are more powerful than men. The stereotypic Sicilian family consists of men and women who use displays of emotions to get their way, and the large range of stereotypic role types, including faux gangsters, may provide some amusement for filmviewers. But what is most fascinating about the film is the introduction of the theme of transvestitism. At the fateful meal where Anthony's grandmother vents her prejudice against having a non-Italian enter the family tree, Anthony's brother Frankie (played by Mike Pagano) comes to Alissa's defense by unbuttoning his shirt to reveal a red bra. Soon, the two brothers are at a bar, get drunk, return to Frankie's quarters over the family foodstore, get dressed up in women's lingerie, and wiggle their bodies. The point is that men who wear women's underclothes are not necessarily gay; indeed, very few gays do so. Transvestite straights just love women so much that they want to get the feel of their clothes. As a matter of fact, Anthony's mother recalls that Frankie began the practice of wearing women's clothes even before puberty. Alas, A Wake in Providence lacks an actual gay person, but the absence of one is duly noted. Perhaps the main puzzle is why the film was finished in 1999 but not released until 2005. Spike Lee's profound Do the Right Thing (1989) and Jungle Fever (1991) featured the same two ethnic groups, and A Wake in Providence does not measure up to his high standard, so perhaps the 2005 release supposed that filmviewers would not remember either. Meet the Parents (2000) clearly eclipses A Wake in Providence in the "meet the parents" genre. And My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) also upstages A Wake in Providence in providing amusing ethnic stereotypes. But the transvestitism segment, which unfortunately is a mere subplot, is truly unique. MH
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